Environment CS Soipan Tuya has revealed that investigations have been opened into officers from the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), a day after President William Ruto ordered the firing of 23 employees from the agency over graft.
Speaking in Nairobi, the CS confirmed that the 23 employees have been fired following corruption allegations and suspected links to illegal loggers.
Tuya added that more officers will be dismissed in the coming days should the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) link them to illegal logging.
She noted that the investigations would cover the whole agency including the board of management.
"We are also here to send a strong warning to all KFS officers including the board of directors that there will be no sacred cows," Tuya stated.
"In addition to the 23, we have additional investigations going on and we shall be rolling out the action to let Kenya know what we are undertaking."
On the other hand, she revealed that she was working alongside other ministry officials to ensure that the country attained the 15 billion trees target.
She explained that the new officers who graduated from the KFS school on October 11, would help in the tree planting exercise.
"In this short rain period, we have set out a national target of 500 million trees by Christmas. We are hoping that the rains will come in a consistent as we go towards realising this target," she stated.
Tuya's statement came after Ruto ordered that the 23 officers be removed from the government payroll.
Ruto, who was the chief guest at the pass out of the KFS officers also directed Tuya and her ministry to carry out reforms at the agency that had been marred with corruption leading to illegal logging in the country.
It is not clear whether the 23 who were under investigation have been apprehended.
